Improvement in mowing-machines



H. L. FRALLEY. Mowing Machine.

No. 51.301. Patentednec. 5, 1865.

N PETERS Plwmunwwpxmr. wnsnmgmn D C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY L. FEAILEY, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MOWlNG-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 51,301, dated December5, 1865.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY L. FRAILEY, of thecityot' Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State ot'Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement on theDividingABoards otMowing-Machines and Ido hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the constructionand operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings,making a part ot' this specitication, in which- Figure l is an insideView ot' the dividingboard with my improvement shown by B O. Fig. 2shows the outside ot' the dividing-board with B O. Fig. 3 is aperspective view from the front with the cutter-bar and sickles shown,together with myiinprovcd additional outside rod, O, and curved bevelbase B.

The construction ot' my dividing-board differs from those in use byhaving the lower edge turned in, in order to t'orin a continuous curvesomewhat like a mold-board on plows A B, in order to aid the rod or rodsD E usually employed and placed on the inside ofthe dividing-board, andin the rear of the same, as shown, for the purpose of turning the cutgrass away from the standing grass. By giving the dividing-board theconvexity shown, with its lower edge, B, beveled, a much greateretticiency is acquired by means ot' its capacity to operate from theground upward, and more et'fectually accomplishing the object ot theordinary rods D E alone.

When grass is lodged it usually hangs over, say, six inches or more,upon the track cut by the machine. The consequenceis that these sixinches or more so hidden and the full width of track not seen is a lossof that much each round of the machine, unless you cutinto theoverhanging grass, with their tops down, calculated to choke the knivesor sickles and greatlyretard the mowing, especiallyfin heavy grass,whether much lodged or not, as experience has shown. To remedy thisevil, I add an additional rod, G, to the outside of the dividinglmard.This rod may be straight or curved, ot' wood or iron, fixed into asocket made adjustable or otherwise applied to the upper anteriorportion,t'or the purpose of clearing the track already cut, as it liftsthe overhanging grass and throws it back, so as to bring the stems ot'the standing grass into full view, with its heads or tops nowlodged onthe other standing grass, fully exposing their contact with the soil orforming a clean or clear track for the machine, enabling the driver tocut upto the line of standing grass the i'ull width ot' the machine,thereby gaining ground, as well as preventing the liability toclickingor clogging the sickles or cutters.

I do not claim the dividing-board nor the inside rod or rods, D E, forthese are not new.

Vhat I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The adjustable outside rod, C, in combinanation with the curved dividingmold-board, constructed and operating in the manner and for the purposespecified.

HENRY L. FRAILEY.

Witnesses at signing:

CEAS. R. FRAILEY, J AooB STAUFFER.

